Control valve



Oct. 15, 1940.

CONTROL VALVE Filed Jan. 20, 1939 I; 20 6 I 2 II z u 9 I I; IO 3 25 AL ug 3 5 II. I

I 4. I I 4 Nelson -S'.6hap121an N. s. CHAPMAN 2,218,419

Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,218,419 I CONTROL VALVE Nelson S. Chapman, Wichita. Falls, Terr. Application January 20-, 1939, Serial No. 252,010

6 Claims. (01'. 251-49) This invention relates to an improvement in control valves, particularly such valves as are used in the handling of food products, beverages, etc., where thorough cleaning is desirable. It

is especially adapted to the handling of liquid food products where thorough cleanliness and. complete sterilization are of paramount importance, such as in the handling of milk and liquid food products. t i

10, Milk bottling plants are required to clean each valve and each pipe daily with a brush to insure complete cleanliness, and this is true also of plants handling ice cream, cheese, butter and condensed milk. It applies even to the handling 5 of fruit and vegetable juices when the operation is not continuous or whenever it is interrupted. Such a cleaning operation is difilcult and it has been practically impossible to obtain complete sterilization evenby the removal of the valve and the disassembly thereof.

:Ihe object of this invention is to provide for ready disassembly of the valve and particularly the detailed separation ofthe parts to such an extent that thorough cleaning thereof may be obtained, and yet the parts may be readily assembled and will hold the desired pressure without leakage.

In carrying out this object, provision is made for the removal of the parts of the control valve from the body portion and the ready separation of the parts from each" other. The bonnet is formed in two sections whichmay be separated upon removal from the body portion for separation from the valve stem. Nevertheless, 35, when assembled, the bonnet fits'tightly in the body portion and is so clamped and shaped that it will efiectively hold the pressure for the valve.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated 'in the accompanying drawing in 4.0 which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the control valve, with the valve stem and valve in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional viewthrough the 45 bonnet, takensubstantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the bonnet parts removed.

In the drawing, the numeral I designates a 50 body portion of the control valve which is constructed substantially in the form of a T, having branches 2 and 3 shown as arranged at an angle to each other and adapted to be connected with suitable pipes which direct fluids through 55 the controlvalve, each of the branches 2 and 3 being externally screw-threaded at 4 to receive suitable couplings. A valve seat 5 is provided within the body portion I approximately in alignment with the branch 3, which allows thorough cleaning of the valve seat with a brush through this opening as Well as the opening through the branch 2 when the parts of the control valve are disassembled. Y

Arranged in the opposite end of the body portion I from the branch 2 is a bonnet formed of 10 two sections 6' and 6 which are complementary and are adapted to be fitted together in cylindrical form. The opposing faces of the sections 6 and 6 are formed with a tongue and grooved joint 1,, which. interfits to provide a tight 0011- 1-5: 'nection therebetween, a

The bonnet formed by the sections 6 and B has a turned lower end portion 8 which is adapted to fit snugly in the upper end of the body portion I with substantially only a sliding fit therein. 20

'I'he bonnet sections 6, 6 are provided with a peripheral shoulder 9 formed thereon in position to engage within a counterbored seat l0 formed at the-upper end of the body portion l, as an additionalway of insuring alignment and 25. snug fitting ofthe parts. The upper side of the shoulder 5 is beveled as indicated at H to receive a beveled inner portion l2 of a nut 13. The nut I3 isinternally screw-threaded to be screwed upon a threaded portion M at the upper end of 30, the body portion l. The nut l3 has a central opening l5 therein which receives the sections of the bonnet.

The bonnet sections 6 and 6 are adapted to be secured together at their upper end by a packing nut l6 which is screwed thereover and encloses a packing member l8 of soft metal, fiber, or other suitable packing material, which bears on the end of the bonnet and is pressed thereagainstby a coiled spring [9' housed withinthe packing nut is.

The bonnet sections 6 and 6' are provided with a longitudinal bore 20 therethrough which has a screw-threaded portion 2|. Extending through the bore 20 is a valve stem 22 having an externally threaded portion 23 interfitting with the threaded portion 2| of the bore 20. The upper end of the valve stem 22 carries a hand wheel 24 or other means for turning the valve stem and the lower end thereof carries a valve 25 in position to engage the seat 5.

When the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1 they function to control the flow of fluid between the branches 2 and 3 through the valve seat 5, according to the positionof the valve 25 relative thereto. The tight fit of the bonnet sections within the upper end of the body portion I, together with the holding of these sections by the nut l3 and the packing nut l6, serve to maintain a tight assembly which will hold the pressure without leaking.

After use and when it is desired to clean and sterilize the valve thoroughly,- the parts may be readily removed from the valve body I by unscrewing the nut |3 from the threaded portion M of the valve body and unscrewing the packing nut l6 from the bonnet which then allows separation of the sections 6 and 6' from each other and lateral removal from the valve stem 22 after these parts, have been bodily removed from the valve body I. The hole l5 in the nut I3 is of sufiicient size such that it may he slipped over the valve 25, after such disassembly without the necessity for removing the handwheel 24 from the valve stem. Thus the parts of the valve structure may be thoroughly cleaned and: sterilized, and the valveseat 5 may be efiectively cleaned also through the passageways formed in the branches 2 and 3, after which the parts may be readily reassembled for their efiective use.

I claim:

1. A control valve comprising a body portion having an inlet and outlet with a valve seat therebetween', said body portion having a cylindrical part thereof upstanding from the valve seat, a bonnet having a turned lower portion extending into said cylindrical part and having a close sliding fit therewith, means for securing the bonnet in place in the cylindrical part of the body portion, said bonnet being split longitudinally in complementary sections held in tightly fitted relation by said cylindrical part and for lateral separation upon removal therefrom, and a valve stem extending through the bonnet and carrying a valve in position to engage the valve seat. I

2. A control valve comprising a unitary body portion having an inlet and outlet with a valve seat therebetween, a bonnet extending into the body portion and formed of complementary sections divided longitudinally, means for securing said bonnet to the body portion, and a valve stem extending through the bonnet and carrying a valve in position to engage the valve seat.

3. A control valve comprising a unitary body portion having inlet and outlet with a valve seat therebetween, said body portion having a tubular part in alignment with the valve seat, a bonnet extending into the tubular part and having a central opening therethrough, a valve stem extending through said opening and carrying a valve in position to engage the seat, said bonnet being divided longitudinally in complementary sections at the central opening for lateral separation of the bonnet sections from the valve stem after removal from the body portion, and

" after removal from the body portion, said sections having a longitudinal tongue and groove connection therebetween, the bonnet having a peripheral shoulder thereon seated upon the tubular part of thevalve body, and a nut bearing upon the shoulder and having screw-threaded connections with the tubular part for securing H the bonnet to the body portion,-

5. Acontrol valve comprising a unitary body portion having an inlet and-outlet with a valve seat therebetween, said body portion having a cylindrical part thereof upstanding from the valve seat, a bonnet having a turned lower portion extending into said cylindrical part and having a close sliding fit therewith, said bon-v net having a peripheral shoulder seated on the upper end of the cylindrical part. and provided with; a beveled upper surface, a nut having threaded connection with the body portion and having .an internal beveled portion coacting with the beveled surface of the shoulder to secure the bonnet in place, and a lateral separation of the sectionsvfrom the valve a stem upon removal from the valve body.

6. A control valve comprising a body portion having an inlet and outlet with a valve seat therebetwee-n, said body portion having a cylindricalpart thereof I upstanding; from the valve seat, a bonnet having a turned lower portion extending into said cylindrical part and having a close sliding fit therewith, said bonnet having a peripheral shoulder seated on the upper end of thecylindrical part, said shoulder having a beveled upper surface, a nut having threaded connection with the body portion and having an internal beveled portion coacting with the beveled surface;of the shoulder to secure the bonnet in place, said bonnet being split longitudinally in complementary sections held in tightly fitted relation by said cylindrical part and for lateral separation upon removal therefrom, and a valve stem extending through the bonnet and carrying a valve in position to engage the valve seat.

, NELSON S. CHAPMAN. 

